Diageo and PepsiCo have partnered to launch an alcoholic RTD drink combining Captain Morgan spiced rum and Pepsi Max.

The product, which entered Great Britain exclusively today (25 September), is a mix of Diageo’s Captain Morgan Original Spiced Gold and the sugar-free Pepsi Max.

With a 5% abv, the RTD is available at Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Asda.

It brings the Pepsi brand into the alcoholic beverage category for the first time in Great Britain.

In March, PepsiCo launched an alcoholic RTD in Canada with its 7Up brand called Svns Hard 7Up, in collaboration with Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Commenting on the latest launch Nuno Teles, managing director at Diageo in Great Britain, said: “With a shared emphasis on fun, our partnership with Pepsi Max brings together two iconic brands to create one epic taste that will inject excitement into the RTD category.

“Both brands bring their own distinctive flavour profile to the mix, an expert blend to deliver a great taste experience.” 

The RTD is available as a 330ml can, 250ml slimline can or multipack of six 250ml cans. The drink has an RRP of £2.59 ($3.46) for the 330ml format.

Natalia Filippociants, general manager of beverages at PepsiCo UK added: “PepsiCo is always looking for new opportunities to meet the changing tastes and demands of consumers by bringing new, innovative products to market.

“Our partnership with Diageo brings together two drinks powerhouses who share the same passion for innovation. 

The tie-up sees PepsiCo follow The Coca-Cola Company on a journey into alcohol.

Last week, Coca-Cola Co. and Bacardi revealed they will launch a co-branded RTD cocktail next year, a move that follows the soft-drinks giant’s partnership with Brown-Forman on Jack Daniel’s.

In 2022, Coca-Cola Co. teamed up with Brown-Forman to produce a cocktail with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola.

That deal marked the first time the two companies had worked together on a product, although Brown-Forman had previously released pre-mixed Jack Daniel’s and Cola RTDs, which it has now discontinued.

Last year, Coca-Cola announced the launch of a co-branded RTD with Pernod Ricard. The two companies rolled out a vodka-based Absolut & Sprite cocktail.

Before the launch with Brown-Forman, Coca-Cola worked with Molson Coors to release a Topo Chico Hard Seltzer and had also experimented with alcoholic soft drinks, including a hard lemonade in Japan.

However, it had not used the Coca-Cola brand on an alcohol product until the alliance with Brown-Forman.